Hello.

We're Kevin Ho & Jonathan McNarry

We do real Estate in San Francisco.

We Love What We Do & We're Very Good At It.

Go Ahead. Give Us A Call to Start.

See Why You'll Hire Us Here . . .

measures for success

Kevin and Jonathan really went up and beyond. They helped us pick paint, went shopping for misc Items for the Property and made it easy getting the place looking great. (I think if I had left the paint roller for them they might have done the work too!!) — Paul M., Seller & Electrician (Realized a 40% gain in value in 18 months)

Better Property Preparation Starts Here . . .

"THE BEST IN THE BUSINESS."

They did a great job from start to finish and clearly really love what they do. The best in the business.

Best Open House in 40 Years!

I must say that your entire property from stem to stern, showed Spectacular! The total ambiance that the two of you created in your presence with your cordiality & friendly personalities, made this one of the best open house presentations that I have ever experienced in 40 years as a Realtor!

Unsolicited Feedback — Long Time Agent, Noe Valley

"Kevin and Jonathan were there for us every step of the way."

Due to their hard work, we were able to find exactly what we wanted and the sale closed without a hitch. Kevin and Jonathan were there for us every step of the way.

Kevin and Jonathan are professional, friendly, responsive, and proactive. There was never a moment where I feel like my concerns or questions, however trivial they might be, were invalid. They really listened to us and guided us to our new home.

— Kit + Brian BioTech + Tech Journalism, Bernal Heights Buyers

TOP PRODUCERS TOP 1–2% SAN FRANCISCO REAL ESTATE AGENTS

Kevin K. Ho, Esq. 415.297.7462

Jonathan B. McNarry 415.215.4393

What Are You Looking to Accomplish in San Francisco Real Estate?

Hi, we’re Kevin Ho + Jonathan McNarry (and with our black labrador retriever Raffi) are dedicated San Francisco expert realtors who live and breathe real estate 24/7. We love what we do. So, if you want engaged, personable and energetic San Francisco real estate from agents who are truly caring, comprehensive and enthusiastic then you’re in the right place.

We are successful, top-producing, real estate agents with Vanguard Properties in San Francisco. Buyers and Sellers work with us so great things can happen. Let's see what your success story will look like.

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Let's Get Started.

﻿Info Please.﻿

﻿Conve﻿rsely, you can call or text us at (415) 297-7462 or (415) 213-4393﻿﻿﻿﻿

WELCOME to San Francisco real estate with me, Kevin K. Ho, and my partner Jonathan B. McNarry — Kevin+Jonathan. We’re partners in life and in business and we live and breathe real estate with our big black lab Raffi, who is himself a real estate super dog (you’ll see him at open houses, marketing videos and in person). We’re involved, active and successful professionals who rank in the top 1-2 percent of San Francisco real estate agents. We work at Vanguard Properties, the leading locally owned boutique San Francisco-based brokerage, known for its powerful top-quality branding, LGBT roots and development prowess.

Join Our Successful and Loyal Client Base

Our clients have bought for less and sold for more in one of the most competitive markets in the world. Better yet, our clients are buyers and sellers — a true testament. Why? We are plugged-in, empathetic and responsive. Our approach to real estate is special — we understand that our clients value on our expertise, service and support in making such consequential decisions in their lives. We view our clients as extended family and we take care of them like family with heart, soul and consideration.

Explore our site, read our reviews and take a look at our seller and buyer successes to see how we stand out from other San Francisco agents.

And of course, be sure to contact us today to put all of our knowledge, personality and experience to work for you!

Quick FAQs

Click to see the answers.

Q: What's up with list prices in San Francisco? Are we just being gamed? Why not price accurately?

ANSWER: One of the realities you’ll should come to accept (and expect) in San Francisco is that a property’s list price is inconsequential for the most part. Unless you’re talking new construction buildings, it’s better to think of a list price as a ‘starting’ price. While you can bristle and grumble about this generally practiced convention (overall statistics show that 3 of every 4 listings — 75% — sell for over list price), the sooner you come to move past the merits of the convention, the sooner we can meet your goal of getting property here. Real property valuation will be informed by area sales, an agent’s pricing history, development or remodeling potential and area trends.

Ascertaining a property’s real value is all the more reason to be working with Kevin+Jonathan.

Q: Why buy property in San Francisco? Isn't it overpriced? Or is it just expensive?

ANSWER: This answer is not brought to you by the local chamber of commerce, but it might as well be. San Francisco is a unique, nutty and rare place where people want to live, work and grow. Think about the last time you saw tourists taking pictures of the Painted Ladies or of some random Victorian. They’re taking pictures of someone’s house. The City is also expensive because there are so many people who want to live here and land is finite. Add in public policy concerns about social justice, rent control, development, the fog, access to transit and other things like Prop 13 and capital gains and you’ll start to make sense of why the City’s annualized appreciation for real estate has been at 6-7% for the past 30+ years.

This is all the more reason to get fully educated on value, potential and context with Kevin+Jonathan.

Q: What's Up with Square Footages for San Francisco? 0 Square Feet?!

ANSWER: Determining a property’s square footage in San Francisco can be extremely difficult. It’s so difficult, in fact, that many property listings will simply say the figure is ‘unavailable,’ or the space for the number is blank and — worse yet — a property’s square footage is a big, fat, round “0.” Are we living in a quantum singularity?! No, Mr. Hawkins, we’re not living in a warped singularity (it’d be a tight squeeze) in San Francisco (although sometimes it may feel like it).

What we’re seeing is that many real estate agents are too apprehensive to list a property’s square footage for several reasons, including:

Varying measurement standards: do you count hallways? Wall thickness? Closets? What about warranted and unwarranted spaces? (Consider the differing outcomes between a graphic artist, architect and appraiser for example)

Purposeful omissions: It’s commonplace that official tax records are inaccurate because many property remodels are done off-book without permits, which is rooted in the fear that applying for a building permit will destroy Prop. 13 property tax rate lock protections by triggering a reassessment of the entire property. While true, the precise reassessment methodology is elusive it’s noteworthy that official measurements won’t count hallways and closets.

Practical useful living area: With pitched roofs, bay windows and other architectural quirks useable living area will necessary vary from someone who is 7 feet tall versus someone who is 5 ft, 5 in tall, right?

Ask Kevin+Jonathan about how this fits into the larger picture and how it will matter to you as a buyer or seller.

JUST SOME OF WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY ABOUT US...

"Kevin & Jonathan are an all-star team and simply put, they get the job done right."

— Paul & Karen

Sellers of an investment property who gained 40% in value after 14 months of ownership after following strategic updates to a charming single-family house at the Daly City-San Francisco border

FIRST TIME BUYERS IN DOGPATCH WHO FOUND HOME QUICKLY

As first time homebuyers (and in SF no less!), Kevin helped my wife and I navigate the process from beginning to end. With his exceptional help, we were able to quickly find a place we loved. As others have mentioned, he is extremely responsive and his prior legal background helped in explaining the various contracts we were looking at. We will definitely use Kevin again when looking for our next home and highly recommend him to everyone out there.

— Arun & Maelle

Tech, Buyers, New Construction in Dogpatch

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OUT OF TOWN SELLERS WHO ENTRUSTED RENOVATION TO US AND SOLD FOR A RECORD PRICE IN 7 DAYS IN THE RICHMOND

At $245K over asking and $441K over initial estimated sales price they knocked the sale of my husband’s condo out of this world. I wouldn’t be surprised if they set a sales price record for the area! Kevin and Jonathan are without a doubt the most amazing real estate duo we have ever met. They took my husband’s tired old pink-carpeted condo and transformed it into a beautifully chic contemporary home….

— Lydia & Patrick

Seattle-based Sellers of a Richmond District Condominium

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FIRST TIME BUYERS IN NOE VALLEY WHO GAVE UP BUT MOVED QUICKLY WHEN AN OFF-MARKET LISTING CAME UP

We worked primarily with Kevin on our search for a new home in San Francisco. As first time buyers unsure of exactly what we wanted, not to mention where in the city we wanted to be, Kevin was very patient and generous with his time in order to help us figure out what would best fit our desires and budget. With the training and attention-to-detail of a lawyer and the eye of a designer, Kevin has all the right skills. He is personable, professional, hard-working and well-connected amongst agents in the city.

Kevin ultimately found an off-market property in Noe Valley, at the right price, that is perfect for us. He knew it, we knew it, and within 24 hours of seeing the property we had a signed contract. We were able to move with speed and confidence because of our trust in Kevin, the time he took to educate us in advance throughout our search, and his outstanding market knowledge.

We are nothing but happy with our new home and with the outstanding service Kevin provided. Even now, Kevin and Jonathan are only a text or email away with recommendations or answers to our questions. We highly recommend working with K&J!

— Andrew & Kaitlyn

Buyers of an Off-Market Noe Valley Condominium

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SELLER AND BUYER SUCCESS

When I had my first phone conversation with Kevin and Jonathan over a year ago, my gut told me that THIS is the team I want to work with when the time came for me to sell. I didn’t even bother interviewing other agents. ….

— Clodel

SOMA Income Property Seller, Excelsior Fixer Buyer

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PREEMPTIVE OFFER WINS SPECTACULAR PROPERTY

Kevin was an ideal agent. He listened to our needs and brought a ton of SF neighborhood knowledge to the table. We had a pretty set idea of what we wanted coming into the process, but Kevin helped us see the potential of expanding our search into new neighborhoods. Behold finding the gem of Castro/Corona Heights. The reason we didn’t have it on our list was because we didn’t even know it existed. Now we have made a home in one of the most idyllic places in SF thanks to Kevin’s expert insight. Not only did he secure the picture-perfect location, but our new home has exceeded all expectations!! Kevin helped us make a preemptive offer on our place because he had his ear to the ground and got us in earlier than any other agent could have. If this spot had gone on the market there would have been a bidding frenzy that we most likely wouldn’t have been able to keep up with. We owe it to Kevin for the help in getting us in early and snatching up this beautiful condo before anyone else got the chance. MASSIVE THANKS!!!

Kevin K. Ho

Kevin has been an invited commentator/expert on Curbed SF,quoted and featured in the New York Times and interviewed a number of times on local television news sharing his thoughts about real estate trends and developments. Kevin, who is from Iowa originally, has lived in the U.K. and has a Master’s degree, a law degree from U.C. Berkeley’s School of Law (Boalt Hall) and a BA from Washington University, St. Louis. He speaks Cantonese and was a reporter and blogger before going to law school. Kevin still carries his law license ‘just-in-case’ he needs it and practiced as a business attorney in the City and as a mediator for 5 years working with the City’s Office of Citizen Complaints — which handles citizen complaints against the SFPD — before focusing on real estate exclusively starting in 2010 after Jonathan said it’d be a ‘good idea.’ Indeed it has proven to be. Kevin is the chatty one, has the ‘vision’ thing and casual one.

Jonathan B. McNarry

Jonathan, who was born in the U.K. and raised in Atlanta comes from a family of real estate developers — he had his first open house sign up when he was just 6 years old! He worked in large-scale, high-end, subdivision development there and has been in the Bay Area for 10 years. Jonathan also works as a critical care, rapid response ICU nurse at UCSF with Board certifications and was also EMT/Paramedic. He is a Notary Public. He’s also worked in banking and insurance but real estate is in his blood and his role in this powerhouse team is of the details man, the well-dressed one who offers perspective, class and humor to the mix.

Raffi McNarry-Ho

Raffi was born in Marin County came from a litter where his brother was top of the class who now works in Michigan while his other brother works with folks with diabetes in the East Bay. Raffi trained with the Guide Dogs for the Blind in San Rafael and joined Kevin+Jonathan’s family in 2012. He’s starred in a number of real estate tour videos for Kevin+Jonathan’s property listings and often sits open houses, finds the best place to nap during property visits and inspections for Kevin+Jonathan’s buyers. His favorite activity apart from waiting for treats and saying hello to new people is lounging around at Duboce Park, which he frequents nearly every day. Raffi is the silent one, the especially sweet one who will always make himself at home no matter where he’s at.

Recent Sales Data

What do the numbers say?

What closed in San Francisco over the past 7 daysas reported on the MLS.

GUESS HOW MUCH OVER LIST PRICE

San Francisco real estate has become known for its teaser prices and inaccurate list prices.

Nearly 3/4ths of all listings in San Francisco close over list price. The universal convention in San Francisco is to price under to draw attention for better or worse. Some situations require this and some areas of the City are more susceptible to this phenomenon. This week’s Most-Over-Asking-Price Award goes to a Jordan Park bungalow house billed as being ‘perfect’ for first-time homebuyer or sophisticated contractor alike. 131 Parker, a 3-bed, 1-bath, 1400-sqft house with expansion potential behind its garage, the house sits on an extra-large parcel between Geary and Euclid. Listed for $1.35M the property closed 14 days after it ratified at $2.050M, or $1,459/sqft or at 151% of its list price. .

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February Sale Prices in San Francisco

Fewer Houses, More CondosHouse Prices Up, Condo Prices Steady

Feb 2018 SF Sales Data

In February 2018, 99 single-famiy houses sold in San Francisco at a median price of $1.7 million and an average sale price of $2.166 million selling at an average $1,025/sqft compared to February 2017’s median price of $1.28 million and the then average of $1.682 million with 110 houses selling that month.

For condominiums, 166 condos closed at a median price of $1.118 million and an average $1.282 million — selling at $1,072/sqft compared to 2017’s median price of $1.118M at an average of $1.34M with 142 condos closing that month.

Do You Mean the Median? or the Average?

Picking which figure will impact your results and observations

When folks talk about data you’ll remember there are the 3Ms: median, mode and mean. We’ll only concern ourselves with two: Median figures are prices that are in the middle, the midpoint — with prices 50% above and 50% below the number reported. The mean (average) figure is, well, the total when you add up all data and find the mathematical average. If there is symmetrical data array then using the mean is better, if there isn’t then the median is better to use, which is what we see in real estate.

Time to Pull the Curtains Back

Read the Newsletter that Our Clients Read

More than 600 people subscribe to our newsletter to read the stories behind the sales. Join them today.

Walk with Us. These properties caught our eye as being exceptional. Just how a property is exceptional depends! It could be a fixer, a fabulous value or just plain fabulous!

Kevin on the News

See Where Kevin+Jonathan’s Buyers & Sellers Have Succeeded

It’s Time To Get Started With Kevin+Jonathan

Representing a loyal, diverse and ever-growing client base, Kevin Ho and Jonathan McNarry of Vanguard Properties deliver unmatched professional real estate services for buyers and sellers in San Francisco. They’re good at what they do and watch out for their clients’ interests with comprehensive and analytical advice to ensure their clients make the most informed decisions.

Psst.

More than 605 Smart Folks Subscribe and Read Our Insider’s Newsletter. What do they know that you don’t?

In the Know with Kevin+Jonathan …

THIS IS NOT YOUR AUTOMATED NEWSLETTER

We spend hours looking at, researching and writing about San Francisco’s real estate markets for our exclusive insider’s newsletter that we send to our private list of clients every 2 weeks (sometimes more often than that, sometimes more than that). Yes, you’ll see our typos as this newsletter is written by actual humans with thoughts and commentary to boot.

Besides our typos, our readers get access to….

Shhh. It’s a secret: Exclusive & Advance Listing information for properties being sold ‘off-market’ or are otherwise ‘coming soon’

Tall Tales of Real Estate Sales, i.e., Stories of the Week— our readers learn the details of how and why a property sold with how many offers, what the sellers were thinking, etc.

Our Commentary & Perspective on San Francisco’s mix of markets

Early Access and leads on new developments, trends and mortgage rates from Vanguard Properties’ preferred lenders and much more!

And, yes, your contact information stays private with us. With all that why are you still buying real estate in the dark?

Sign up now!

Readers Say…

I love the style of your newsletter! It is so informative and fun! I love to see what is happening in my neighborhood too.

—Cynthia W.

Homeowner + Buyer, Noe Valley

Clients Say…

Kevin listened to our story and took the time to understand who we were and our personalities and then asked more than a few more questions to narrow down where we should live. His advice definitely helped us narrow down the choices and helped us with the all important targeting of our search. [H]e gave us very candid and honest responses to our questions including dissuading us from a couple of apartments that in retrospect would have been completely wrong for us.

When we finally found a place that we unquestionably loved, Kevin guided us through the process in winning a bidding war before the house even made it to its first public open house. He helped quell a lot of the eleventh hour jitters and pushed us in the helpful way not the overbearing way. Ultimately, we were absolutely delighted with the purchase and he was integral in the process and could not recommend him more to others.

— Mitchell & Debbie

Buyers, Relocated from New York, SOMA

Seller and Buyer …

If there was one word to describe my experience with Kevin and Jonathan, it’s “smart”. They know the current environment and also helped educate and guide me to getting both buying and selling done. After selling, I had a lot of fear I wouldn’t be able to find a new home. I’ve heard countless stories and read countless articles of buyers losing out to cash offers and it was discouraging. With their help, we were able to orchestrate a truly competitive non-cash offer. I honestly didn’t think this would all be done before 2018 arrived, and now I’m an extremely happy client.

At Vanguard Properties we are committed to understanding your individual needs. We promise to provide you with the kind of quality service that will exceed your expectations. Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of sincere effort, intelligent direction and skilled execution. Kevin+Jonathan are proud and happy to be apart of such success. We realize this success is thanks to our clients, friends and colleagues. Thank You!

Clients Say…

Importantly, [Kevin] had great suggestions and advice on making our offer compelling, helping us secure the property we really wanted despite not being all-cash nor the highest offer.

— Ross & Sarah

Successful Buyers, Noe Valley Single-Family Home

Clients Say

We couldn’t be happier with the service we received from Kevin.

He’s personable, helpful, tech-savvy, and extremely dedicated! Kevin is a very opinionated realtor, but I say this in a good way. There were many homes that we were willing to bid on in what was a very challenging market, but thankfully Kevin kept our best interests in mind. Rather than going for a quick close, he actually talked us out of a few homes to make sure we stayed true to our criteria.

—Aaron & Ashley

Buyers, Charming Victorian (Noe Valley)

A Norm of $1,000/sqft? How'd That Happen in San Francisco?

$1,000/sqft?! That Happened. Here’s How.

A brief look at recent price history growth in San Francisco

Dollars per square foot is a rough measure of prices and property values in San Francisco that, when tracked, reveals how prosperity and price growth has spread from north to south over the past few years.

In 2017 (well, from January until December at least) 73.7% of all properties in San Francisco sold over asking price at about 7% over list (for all property types)

A single-family house in San Francisco sells after an average of 27 days on the market at a median price of $1,400,000 (at a median price of $887/sqft, 5.7% over last year’s figures)

A condominium in San Francisco sells after an average of 35 days on the market at a median price of $1,150,000 (at a median price of $1,052/sqft, 4.5% over last year’s figures)

Source: MLS Data, SFAR, Jan 1-Dec 1, 2017

2 AGENTS, 1 DOG, TOP 1-2% OF SAN FRANCISCO AGENTS.

Other Agents Want to Work With Us Too.

Sure our clients like us and our work, but other agents do too and will pick our clients’ offers simply because it’s from us.

I must say that your entire property from stem to stern, showed Spectacular! Was it staged, or were the furnishings the Seller’s? In any event, everything was extremely well balanced — the pictures, art work, mirrors, window treatments, lighting fixtures, interior & exterior paint jobs, back yard, and the total ambiance that the two of you created in your presence with your cordiality & friendly personalities, made this one of the best open house presentations that I have ever experienced in 40 years as a Realtor!

Needless to say, your asking price is perfectly priced and it is most likely that you will receive multiple offers! All the best to you both!

—Longtime Realtor in Noe Valley

We received a lot of good offers… but based on our past relationship and how smoothly it went, I pushed for your offer.

— Listing Agent, San Francisco, Corona Heights

(Our Buyers closed on property beating out 2 other offers)

I presented your clients offer to my sellers and told them about you in particular and encouraged them to go with you.